BLUE HILL METEOROLOGICAL OBSERVATORY
MILTON, MASSACHUSETTS
ELEVATION 635 FEET, 10 MILES SSW OF BOSTON, MA

DAILY DISCUSSION AND CLIMATE SUMMARY
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2016  
 
SUNNY DAY WITH MILD TEMPS. AND MODERATE WINDS

Today was another mild and dry December day with the return
of high pressure.  Temperatures have been warmer than normal
reaching 43F by 1:00PM after an overnight low of 29F.  The
average max. and min. for December 23 are 37F and 21F,
respectively.

Skies have been mostly clear with few distant cumulus and
cirrus observed in the morning.  Cirrus had moved in by early
afternoon but were still covering less than 1/8 of the sky.
Winds continue to be moderate and out of the SW-W.


7 A.M.
Weather: Few distant cumulus  NE-S
Temperature: 31F; Dew Point: 22F; Wind: W at 9 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.28 ins. Hg, rising, then more quickly
Visibility: 70 miles
6-hr Max temp: 31F
6-hr Min temp: 22F
24-hr precip: Trace
24-hr snowfall: Trace
BHO SA 1155 CLR 70 253/31/22/2609/028/ FEW DSNT CU NE-S/
8/100 53025 ASOS 70001 10034 20029

10 A.M.
Weather: Few distant cumulus ENE-E and WSW, few distant cirrus SSW-W
Temperature: 37F; Dew Point: 23F; Wind: W at 10 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.35 ins. Hg, rising, then more slowly
Visibility: 70 miles
BHO SA 145 CLR 70 276/37/23/2610/035/ FEW DSNT CU ENE-E AND WSW
FEW DSNT CI SSW-W/ 8/101 51023

1 P.M.
Weather: Few cirrus ESE-WNW
Temperature: 43F; Dew Point: 22F; Wind: WSW at 11 kts
Sea-level pressure: 30.30 ins. Hg, falling, then more quickly
Visibility: 70 miles
6-hr Max temp: 43F
6-hr Min temp: 30F
BHO SA 1755 CLR 70 262/43/22/2511/030/ FEW CI ESE-WNW/
8/001 58014 10043 20030


SUMMARY FOR THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2016
 
TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)
MAX.....38   NORMAL.....37
MIN.....29   NORMAL.....22
MEAN....34   NORMAL.....29

DEPARTURE FROM 30-YEAR NORMAL........................+5
TOTAL DEPARTURE FOR THE MONTH.......................-31 [-1.6 DEGREES/DAY]

HEATING DEGREE DAYS (SEASON JUL TO JUN)
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR YESTERDAY..............31   DEPARTURE..........-5
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE MONTH.............738   DEPARTURE.........+29
TOTAL HEATING UNITS FOR THE SEASON...........1768   DEPARTURE........-203
TOTAL HEATING UNITS LAST SEASON TO DATE......1458   DIFFERENCE.......+310

PEAK GUST AND AVERAGE WIND SPEED (MPH) 
PEAK WIND GUST FOR YESTERDAY...................28 SSE AT 10:09 A.M.
                   ASOS........................30 SSW AT 10:10 A.M.
                   DAVIS.......................29 SSE AT 10:09 A.M. RMY 30
FASTEST MILE FOR YESTERDAY.....................18 S   AT 10:59 A.M.
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE ASOS AVERAGE..................20 SSW AT 11:01 A.M. 
MAXIMUM 2-MINUTE DAVIS AVERAGE.................19 S   AT 11:01 A.M.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED AND DIRECTION.............11.0 W
                   ASOS......................11.3
                   DAVIS.....................10.1 SSW [200 Deg.]
*last of multiple occurances


PRECIPITATION (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL PRECIPITATION 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M...Trace  DEPARTURE......-0.16
                         ASOS..............0.01
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH..........1.49  DEPARTURE......-2.06
                         ASOS..............1.65
TOTAL PRECIPITATION FOR THE YEAR..........38.46  DEPARTURE.....-13.62
                         ASOS.............39.08

SNOWFALL (INCHES) THROUGH THIS MORNING (EST)
TOTAL SNOWFALL 24 HRS ENDING 7 A.M........Trace  DEPARTURE.......-0.5
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH................6.0  DEPARTURE.......-2.7
TOTAL SNOWFALL FOR THE SEASON...............6.0  DEPARTURE.......-5.3


PRELIMINARY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR DECEMBER CALENDAR DAY DATA
DATE: MAX/MIN/MEAN/DEP/PRECIP/SNOW/SUN(MIN.)/SUN(%)/PEAK GUST/AERO/RMY GUST
AERO: Aerovane wind recording system gust
RMY:  R.M. Young wind gust recording system
TSTM: Thunderstorm day (thunder heard some time during day)
....: Data not yet available, records not finalized
M:    Missing data

12/1  55/39/47/+10/0.20/0.0/385/69          36 W   AERO 37 W   RMY 36
12/2  48/34/41/+5/0.00/0.0/535/96           32 W   AERO 32 W   RMY N/A
13/3  44/31/38/+2/0.00/0.0/445/80           37 WNW AERO 39 WNW RMY 40
12/4  39/27/33/-2/0.00/0.0/355/64           25 NW  AERO 25 NW  RMY N/A
12/5  36/27/32/-3/0.13/0.4/000/00           26 W   AERO 25 W   RMY 29
12/6  42/30/36/+1/0.00/0.0/392/71           22 W   AERO 21 W   RMY N/A
12/7  39/34/37/+3/0.10/0.0/000/00           21 E   AERO 21 E   RMY N/A
12/8  40/29/35/+1/0.00/0.0/033/06           30 W   AERO 31 W   RMY 33
12/9  35/21/28/-6/0.00/0.0/549/100          35 W   AERO 36 WNW RMY 34
12/10 27/17/22/-11/0.00/0.0/544/99          26 WNW AERO 27 WNW RMY 29 
12/11 33/16/25/-8/0.06/0.4/411/75           17 SSW AERO 15 SW  RMY N/A
12/12 41/27/34/+1/0.35/0.9/038/07           29 ESE AERO 29 SE  RMY 30
12/13 41/30/36/+4/0.00/0.0/.../..           25 WSW AERO 25 W   RMY 27
12/14 40/26/33/+1/0.00/0.0/.../..           30 WNW AERO 31 WNW RMY N/A
12/15 29/13/21/-11/T/T/.../..               50 W   AERO 62 W   RMY 56
12/16 18/01/10/-21/0.00/0.0/.../..          39 WNW AERO 51 WNW RMY N/A
12/17 36/18/27/-4/0.60/4.3/.../..           25 SSW AERO 28 SSW RMY N/A
12/18 55/30/43/+12/0.05/0.0/.../..          47 WSW AERO 53 S   RMY 53
12/19 30/17/24/-6/0.00/0.0/.../..           26 WNW*AERO 28 NW  RMY 26
12/20 32/13/23/-7/0.00/0.0/.../..           28 SSE AERO 29 SSW RMY N/A
12/21 40/25/33/+3/0.00/0.0/.../..           28 SSE AERO 28 SSW RMY 30
12/22 38/29/34/+5/T/T/.../..                28 SSE AERO 29 S   RMY 30

12/23 Low temp since midnight is 29F; normal low is now 21F


DAILY EXTREMES
Temperature and precipitation records back to 1885, and
wind records back to 1940 (e = estimated):

RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 23
HIGH 62 IN 1990
LOW -1 IN 1989
PRECIP 1.70 INS. IN 1947
SNOWFALL 11.9 INS. IN 1947
PEAK GUST 67 SSE IN 2004

RECORDS FOR DECEMBER 24
HIGH 67 IN 2015
LOW -6 IN 1943
PRECIP 2.21 INS. IN 1994
SNOWFALL 12.3 INS. IN 1961
PEAK GUST 79e MPH SE IN 1941

TODAY'S REPORT PREPARED BY: Cecilia Borries-Strigle